The notion of an answer song is simple; one artist poses a question ('the call') or raises an issue - and (usually) another vocalist answers it in song. The pursuit provided a means of freshening up the later stages of the pure rock 'n' roll era, entering the pop charts in 1959. By 1961 it had reached epidemic proportions. After 'ticking over' steadily for a couple of decades there was another outbreak - this time as dance music had become somewhat staid - in 1986.

Most answer songs are neither accomplished nor very entertaining after the first listen. They are frequently based around the same melody as 'the call' and are released soon after its decline when, paradoxically, the record buying public is growing weary of the tune. For these reasons the vast majority of answer songs fail to make an impact on the chart. There are, however, some notable exceptions. Frankee's "F.U.R.B." (2004) was the first answer song to make the top spot.

Here is the everyhit.com listing of answer records. We have included songs only if they were Top 40 hits (either the 'call', the 'answer' - or both). We have not included entries where the 'answer' song is a simple parody of the initial release (for example, we do not consider the Wurzel's "I've Got A Brand New Combine Harvester" to be a legitimate answer to Melanie's "Brand New Key"!)

Rufus Thomas' "Bear Cat" (1953) is not included in the above table although it was the answer to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" (1952). Neither of these made the UK Top 40. Of course, "Hound Dog" was later a hit for Elvis Presley (1956). Although Elvis' version did make the Top 40 we have not included this as it would give the impression of an answer song being released prior to 'the call'! We'll add other examples of the phenomenon to this page in the near future.

** Feargal Sharkey is the only artist to have recorded an answer record in response to a call song of his own! Here's why: Feargal was friends with songwriters Maria McKee and her boyfriend Benmont Tench (of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers). Maria and Benmont's relationship ended and she wrote "A Good Heart" about the split. Feargal had a hit with it. Benmont's response to this was to write the song "You Little Thief" (about Maria) which Feargal, not wishing to show favouritism, recorded!

SequelsSome songs pick up on a theme begun in another composition but can't be regarded as answer songs. These tend to be recorded by the same artist as the original, though there are exceptions. Below is a list of such sequels. Again, they have been included only if one of the pairing made the Top 40.

Year

Original

Highposn

Sequel

Year

Highposn

1957

Fats Domino - "Ain't That A Shame"

23

Fats Domino - "Walking To New Orleans"

1960

19

1957

Buddy Holly - "Peggy Sue"

6

Buddy Holly- "Peggy Sue Got Married"

1959

13

1960

Brenda Lee - "I'm Sorry"

12

Ben Vaughn - "I'm Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee)"

1960

-

1961

Ernie K-Doe - "Mother-In-Law"

29

Ernie K-Doe - "My Mother In Law (Is In My Hair Again)"

1964

-

1963

Lesley Gore - "It's My Party"

9

Lesley Gore - "Judy's Turn To Cry"

1963

-

1966

Mamas & Paps - "California Dreamin"

23

Mamas & Papas - "Creeque Alley"

1967

9

1967

Kinks - "Waterloo Sunset"

2

Bob Geldof - "Love Like A Rocket"

1987

-

1968

The Beatles - "Strawberry Fields Forever"

2

The Beatles - "Glass Onion"

1967

-

The Beatles - "I Am The Walrus"

-

1968

The Beatles - "Fool On The Hill"

-

1968

1969

David Bowie - "Space Oddity"

5

David Bowie - "Ashes To Ashes"

1980

1

Peter Shilling - "Major Tom (Coming Home)"

1984

-

The only song to have both an answer-back and a sequel is, therefore, Ernie K-Doe's "Mother-In-Law"!